LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) – by Dario Thuburn London became the first major Western capital to elect a Muslim mayor on Friday as Labour claimed victory for its candidate Sadiq Khan despite setbacks elsewhere in Britain for the main national opposition party. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn hailed Khan’s win over Conservative Zac Goldsmith, after a bitter campaign in which Prime Minister David Cameron sought to link Khan to Islamic extremists. “Congratulations Sadiq Khan. Can’t wait […]
International
US positions troops in Yemen, steps up anti-Qaeda strikes
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) – US troops are helping United Arab Emirates forces push Al-Qaeda-affiliated forces from a Yemeni port, and the Pentagon has stepped up air strikes against the jihadists in the war-torn country. Defense Department spokesman Navy Captain Jeff Davis’s confirmation of the deployment marked the first time the Pentagon has publicly acknowledged that US troops are operating inside Yemen. Davis said a “very small number” of military personnel has been working with […]
EU won’t sacrifice food safety for US trade deal: German minister
BERLIN, Germany (AFP) – The EU won’t sacrifice its high food safety standards for better US auto market access in a transatlantic trade deal being negotiated, a German minister said Friday. The comments by Agriculture Minister Christian Schmidt were the latest criticism of the thorny negotiations toward sealing a wide-ranging pact that would create a free-trade zone covering 850 million people. Washington and Brussels want the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) completed this year […]
Brazil Senate committee vote set on Rousseff impeachment
BRASILIA, Brazil (AFP) – by Damian Wroclavsky A special committee in Brazil’s Senate was to vote Friday on whether to recommend starting an impeachment trial against President Dilma Rousseff who faces being suspended from office in less than a week. The committee’s decision is non-binding but marks the last formal stage before the full Senate votes Wednesday on whether to put the leftist leader on trial. With a ‘yes’ almost certain, Rousseff is preparing to […]
US economic slowdown hits hiring in April
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) – by Paul HANDLEY US employers cut back hiring in April in the wake of the economy’s sharp downturn, raising worries of a protracted slowdown in the world’s largest economy. Net new jobs fell unexpectedly to the lowest level in seven months, with just 160,000 additional jobs generated, over 40,000 less than economists predicted, the Labor Department reported Friday. That was still a strong enough pace to continue absorbing new entrants to […]
Kim Jong-Un hails N. Korea’s nuclear power status at party congress
PYONGYANG, North Korea (AFP) – by Simon MARTIN Kim Jong-Un opened North Korea’s first ruling party congress for nearly 40 years on Friday, with a defiant defence of the “magnificent” strides made in the country’s nuclear weapons programme. Hailing the historic test of what North Korea claims was a hydrogen bomb in January, the isolated state’s young leader said it had shown the world it would not be cowed by sanctions or outside pressure. Dressed […]
Spain reports first case of Zika-related microcephaly
BARCELONA, Spain (AFP) – Spanish health authorities say they have detected the country’s first known case of the microcephaly birth defect in the foetus of a pregnant woman infected with the Zika virus. “A pregnant woman was infected by Zika and dengue and the foetus has shown various defects,” the health authority of the Catalonia region said in a statement late Thursday. This was Spain’s first case of Zika-related microcephaly, a severe form of brain […]
Canada forest fire forces tens of thousands to evacuate
https://youtu.be/ykzGXeQ2Eck Tens of thousands of people are evacuated from the Canadian city of Fort McMurray as forest fires rage in Alberta’s oil sands region. (courtesy AFPTV)
Deutsche Bank targeted in Italian government bond probe
MILAN, Italy (AFP) – German banking giant Deutsche Bank is the target of a criminal probe into government bond market manipulation, the bank and plaintiffs said on Friday. Five former Deutsche Bank top managers are being investigated by a prosecutor in Trani, southern Italy, including its ex-chief executive Josef Ackermann, consumer associations Adusbef and Federconsumatori said after filing their legal complaint. They accuse Deutsche Bank of selling “massive” amounts of Italian government debt between January […]
Israel hits Gaza after mortar fire across border
GAZA CITY, Palestinian Territories (AFP) — Israeli aircraft struck a Hamas facility in the southern Gaza Strip on Friday after cross-border mortar fire, the Israeli army said, as violence continued for a third day. “In response to the ongoing attacks against Israeli forces, Israel Air Force aircraft targeted a Hamas terror infrastructure,” an army statement said. Palestinian witnesses said there were two sets of air raids, one targeting Beit Lahia in northern Gaza and the […]
Houston firefighters battle massive warehouse fire
HOUSTON, Texas (Reuters) — Houston firefighters were battling a massive warehouse fire on Thursday (May 5) fueled by hazardous materials. A nearby elementary school was evacuated and a shelter in place order was issued to the nearby vicinity. Firefighters encountered several explosions as the battled the aggressive fire which was being fanned by strong winds. No injuries have been reported.
Bahrain recycling industry hit by slump in oil prices
Turning trash into cash has been a big business in Bahrain for the Gulf state’s recycling companies. The country’s recycling industry has grown over the years, adding tens of millions of dollars to the economy. But a slump in oil prices has hit the business, as commodities have become cheaper, reducing the demand for recycled metal, plastic, paper and glass. It’s become cheaper for companies to buy new raw materials rather than invest in recyclable […]
